But really... it's a part of life if you're a normal mortal, but so hard to fully "let go" when you probably really need it. I've probably cried less than 5 times in the last 10 years.

Sometimes a scene in a film just unexpectedly kicks the stones out from under you... or maybe lyrics in a song, or the way the chord progressions bend your seemingly immalleable nerves. Or just the obvious loss of a loved one - family, friend, or pet. Or perhaps it's due to you feeling so personally broken and beaten for too long.

Or maybe it's the tears of intense elation or joy. Something uplifting that brought sobs through your bouts of laughter.

It's one of those things that feels so awful, yet so satisfying.

When I dropped my only son off at college this past September, I cried for a half hour in bed that night. Sweet misery. Or was it miserably sweet?Whatever.

When's the last time you had a good and cleansing cry, where it felt as though your tears were your own blood?

Actually, now that I think about it, the last time I genuinely cried was about five years ago, a few days after my father told me he was going to prison.

I hated him for what he did to our family, but at the end of the day he was still my dad... the guy who took me to my 7am hockey practices every week, helped me with my homework into the late-as-fuck night, never missed a sporting event or concert I was in, cliche cliche cliche, and I ultimately believed that he did what he did out of some warped, misguided belief that we might view him as a failure rather than sociopathic apathy.

The plus side was that it all made me truly appreciate what a strong as hell, foaming-at-the-mouth and protective as fuck mama bear my mother is when shit hits the fan. The way she held my family together, dealt with the legal issues and handled her business is one of the most admirable things I have been able to experience. I don't think many people appreciate just how far their parents will go for them until their claws finally come out.

Aah, shit, that reminds me... her birthday was yesterday... fuuuaaaarrk

A friend of mine suffered a head injury about 15 years ago. Since then he had been having seizures caused by damage to parts of his brain. As they became worse he had to forfeit his drivers licence and began having a hard time executing basic necessities of life. I'd help him with shopping and whatnot and everything was pretty much copacetic.

His neurologist began developing a new procedure a while back, and in need of test cases, he volunteered for an operation which would remove the damaged parts and hopefully ameliorate or eliminate the seizures all together. Everything went well, and his recovery was astounding, for about 3 years.

Then about 6 months ago my phone rang. It was a friend of his in a panic who had grabbed his phone and called the last person he had dialed, which was me. His reason for panic was because my bud had just fallen to the floor and was completely unresponsive and having difficulty breathing. I instructed him to roll him on his side and make sure he had a clear airway, then to hang up and call 911, which he did. I relayed all of the pertinent information to his dad, then broke down.

Turns out that for some strange reason, my bud had a pretty severe stroke, possibly related to scar tissue or some other complication of the procedure. I didn't know that at the time, but knowing his history and seeing such a remarkable recovery come crashing down was devastating. The thought that I was going to loose one of my best friends brought me to tears. My wife did a good job of trying to console my while I blubbered on her shoulder for a good 10 minutes or so.

He's been doing pretty well since then, but is still periodically a little off kilter. Don't know if there will be a next one or a last one, so until then we just go fishing. Usually catching, too.

There are different things that can quite literally bring tears to my eyes, such as an extraordinary scene in a movie (or real life), reading about some event that is either very good or very bad... but I would not call that crying per se.

anonym wrote:But what's odd is that I usually only tear up to corny shit... like if I'm watching a movie alone at night.

Bruce Willis on that asteroid telling Ben Affleck to take care of his little girl gets me every time.

I don't tear up AT ALL when it's actually socially appropriate, though. Like funerals and shit.

I am the same way, and it's not like I'm trying really hard to hold it back either. At a funeral? Nothing. End of Marley and Me? I'm like a baby.

It's sounds strange, but Marley & Me didn't bring on any tears for me. However, the last time I took my dog to the vet on a routine visit, I witnessed a large family pet dog on a gurney with a blanket wrapped around him, while his family were openly sobbing as the vet wheeled him through the doors to be put down... the last time they would see him.This image STILL chokes me up as I type this.